If you’re searching for something to replace Fox’s 12-season crime procedural, Bones, and enjoy watching stories with a supernatural twist, Lucifer may be the perfect show for you. Starring Emily Deschanel as Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and David Boreanaz as FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth, Bones put a new spin on the typical crime procedural. Rather than watching the cases unfold almost solely from the police’s perspective, we watched highly specialized forensic scientists examine the most gruesome, unidentifiable murder victims instead, with each discovery, even the smallest fiber or bone fracture, providing a new piece of the puzzle.
This fresh perspective made Bones unique among network TV’s other crime procedurals, like CSI or NCIS; the lovable, funny cast and the early romantic undertones of Booth and Brennan’s relationship only added to the show’s appeal. There are only so many times you can rewatch a show like Bones before you remember who the murderer is at the beginning of the episode, however. If you like watching crime procedurals with a unique twist and perspective, then Lucifer could be just what you need.
Lucifer Is A Great Bones Replacement Show If You Don’t Mind A Supernatural Spin
Lucifer, which premiered on Fox in 2016, is loosely based on the Lucifer character created for DC Comics’ Sandman universe. In Lucifer, however, the infamous fallen angel has landed in Los Angeles, intent on a life of debauchery, fun, and, who would have guessed it, crime-solving. When Lucifer (Tom Ellis) meets an LAPD detective named Chloe Decker (Lauren German), and it’s revealed that she alone is immune to his uniquely “angelic” charms, he becomes her unconventional police consultant, using his power to draw out people’s deepest desires to help her solve cases.
Like Bones, a big part of Lucifer‘s appeal is that the way the crimes are solved feels different from your run-of-the-mill police procedurals.
Like Bones, a big part of Lucifer‘s appeal is that the way the crimes are solved feels different from your run-of-the-mill police procedurals. Whereas Bones focused on unusual scientific practices, Lucifer focuses on the psychological, exploring people’s needs, wants, jealousies, and frustrations, and how they can lead humans to commit the most horrific crimes. Additionally, much like in Bones, the characters in Lucifer also become wrapped up in several overarching arcs and conspiracies alongside their regular weekly casework, as Lucifer’s paranormal world inches ever closer to Chloe’s very vulnerable human one.
Lucifer Captures The Chemistry & Humor Of Fox’s Beloved Procedural
While certain aspects of Lucifer are darker, the show features the same kind of humor and chemistry that made Bones so beloved. Ellis and German have great romantic and platonic chemistry, which makes their relationships so satisfying to watch unfold, even though it’s a slow burn (just like in Bones). The rest of the cast makes Lucifer‘s world feel fun, smart, and charming. All the characters play off one another beautifully.
Chloe’s ex-husband Dan (Kevin Alejandro) steadily grows throughout the series; their daughter Trixie (Scarlett Estevez) is a strong-willed delight, and Rachael Harris’s therapist, Linda, is the voice of reason in the group, but not boringly so. Her friendship with Chloe and Maze (Lesley-Ann Brandt), Lucifer’s right-hand demon, is one of the show’s many highlights, as is Aimee Garcia’s bubbly and whip-smart forensic scientist Ella Lopez.
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Lucifer is a crime procedural series with a supernatural twist, but that doesn’t mean it loses any of the common elements found in other procedurals.
Of course, the paranormal, biblical aspect of the story provides plenty of opportunities for humor and angst, and the difficult sibling relationship between Lucifer and Amenadiel (D.B. Woodside) provides a strong, often hilarious guiding hand through their strange and overwhelming world. Both the show and the title character are funny, flirty, decadent, and sexy. If you enjoyed the camaraderie between the cast in Bones, you’ll surely love the relationships between the characters in Lucifer.
Lucifer Diverges From Bones In One Significant Way
Fox unceremoniously canceled Lucifer after season 3 in 2018, prompting a major fan campaign to save the show. Netflix bought the rights to the series soon after, and season 4 was launched in 2019, with two more seasons to (reluctantly) follow in 2020 and 2021. Netflix’s streaming formula differs from Fox’s network TV formula, though. While the show maintained what made it so popular in the first place, namely the great cast, their relationships, and the strange blending of the supernatural and the natural, the show did become less episodic under Netflix’s supervision. Netflix is meant for binge-watching, after all.
Under Netflix’s reign, two more fan campaigns were launched to save Lucifer, prompting the streamer to increase the episode count for season 5 and renew the show for a sixth and final season when it had originally planned to stop after the fifth.
The later seasons, while still involved with certain police investigations, became less of a case-of-the-week type of show and more of an overarching narrative, with Lucifer’s family troubles and the politics of Heaven and Hell taking center stage, just as Chloe’s role in Lucifer’s world became more prominent, too. Given the show’s supernatural premise, this shift was perhaps somewhat inevitable. Nevertheless, the original procedural formula certainly helped launch Lucifer and Chloe’s unusual yet destined relationship in Lucifer, and their love story, just like Booth’s and Brennan’s in Bones, is worth a watch.
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